YinzPitt

Well, I had en elaborate plan to talk about the Steelers or some garbage for them doing terrible, but my thoughts on them have recently changed.  If they don’t care, I don’t care.  I’ve never seen that much suckatude from the Pittsburgh Steelers and that needs to change.  In other news, the legendary ballet The Nutcracker opens at the Benedum Center For The Performing Arts tonight.

What a better way to get into the holiday season with this old-time ballet show.  It’s been around for practically forever, well since 1891,

The Nutcracker in 1891

and it’s something that almost every person in the relevant world has heard about.  It’s literally a classic and a very traditional ballet.  I’ve seen it once, and I was very young at the time that I saw it.  I give the people that practice ballet a ton of credit, all that balancing and using their toes has to hurt, and I couldn’t imagine trying to learn that type of dance at an age later in life.

For the people who haven’t heard what The Nutcracker is about or are still unsure about wanting to see it, the story is about a girl who finds herself in a world of sugarplums and fairies.  It’s all essentially a dream and it’s basically the holiday version of “Alice In Wonderland.”  It’s worth the time to see and take your family to.  The tickets can be found at the Benedum’s Website.

Now moving on to The Benedum Center’s history.  I feel as if I should write a little something about this building, as it’s as much an art piece

Inside the Benedum Center For The Performing Arts

than it is an actual old-time theater.  It’s a really spectacular place to go and just look at the walls, as the sculpting and the wood work is unreal.

Pictured to the right is what the inside looks like of the actual theater.  I can also say, the outside and the lobby are exquisitely done as well, and the wood work just the same.  It’s certainly a place a person can get lost and appreciate all the history it has to offer.  I’ve got some cool information about the Benedum and it’s posted below via their website:

• There are over 90 crystal chandeliers, torchieres and sconces in the theater, all but one are original. The Central Brass Company located in Reading, PA refurbished them.
• The Grand Lobby mirrors, marble and woodwork are all original.
• At the landing on each staircase in the Grand Lobby are 18-foot high original mirrors meant to be reminiscent of the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles.
• The signature piece of the Benedum Center is the original main chandelier which weighs 4,700 pounds, is 20 feet high and 12 feet wide. It was restored in honor of the late H.J. Heinz II.
• Approximately 95% of the interior of the building is plaster. It took a fifteen person crew almost a full year to complete the plaster renovations.
• There are 1,500 feet of brass rail in the theater, most of which is original.
• On St. Patrick’s Day in 1936, the theater flooded within two feet of the balcony. Several men were trapped for three days until police arrived in a motorboat and rescued them.
• The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts was named in honor of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, which made the largest contribution toward the restoration of the theater.
• The Benedum Center opened on Friday, September 25, 1987, with a show called Purely Pittsburgh. It was written by Dan Langen and produced by Mandy Levine. The show featured composers from Pittsburgh and performers with a Pittsburgh connection.
• In 1928, the Stanley cost $3 million to build. In 1987, the Benedum Center cost $43 million to restore.

I’ve always been a sucker for these kinds of buildings and establishments around the city of Pittsburgh. It’s almost as if it’s taking me back in time, to the days when things were simpler. I’ll be attending the Pens game on Saturday and taking my brand new camera around the city. I’m going to try and get some good shots and post them here in gallery form for everyone to see! Have a great weekend!